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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Battle Unicorns are here! Introducing Warrior Beautiful

My awesomely prolific friend, Wendy Knight, has ANOTHER book out. I know, I know. You're thinking "What? Another one? Isn't this, like, her debut year? And isn't this her fourth book?" And being the informative soul I am, I'll tell you that you're partially right. One of the Feudlings books was actually a novella, so we can pretend that didn't count... but she also published another book as a pseudonym. So, depending on how you count, she either published five books or four and a half books. In. One. Year. Also, they're fantastic. Which isn't fair, but how can you hate her when you're too busy wanting her to write another one?

Also, the girl has amazing covers. Behold!

As one of her privileged besties, I remember when she came up with the idea for this book (earlier this year, naturally). For the longest time, she kept going on and on about battle unicorns... and how she needed to find a plot for them. I think she did a great job with a really fun concept, and I think you will, too.

Wendy has been kind enough to provide me with a short explanation about why she is drawn to the YA Fantasy genre. Since I'm similarly drawn to it, and we get along famously (yes, it's fun to flaunt my friendships with amazing authors, thanks for asking), this comes as no surprise:

Hi there!
I’ve been asked to write about why I write in Young Adult Fantasy—what it is
about these genres I love so much.

SO.

I love the
Young Adult genre because there is still so much potential at that age. Life’s
decisions haven’t been made. Young adults still have their entire future before
them, and I love that. Me, for example, I have three kids. I write. That’s my
life and while there might be some changes in the future, it isn’t wide open
and beckoning like it was when I was a teenager (I thought I was going to live
in Africa and study lions. Never mind that I hate bugs and the sun and don’t
like to watch things die). Teenagers can
save the world, and I love that.

My reason
for loving the Fantasy genre is pretty much the same—there are no limits. I can
make up entire worlds, new words, new animals, new everything! There isn’t
anything that can stop me but my own imagination! That being said, I do prefer
writing urban fantasies—which is magic set in our world. I love the idea that
there might be magic right in front of me and I don’t even know it. In Warrior
Beautiful, there are unicorns protecting us, but we can’t see them. I LOVE that
sort of thinking.

I started
writing Young Adult Urban Fantasy because that’s what I love to read. Yeah, I’m
in my thirties and I have children and I’m married and stuff, but still—those
are my favorite kinds of books! In fact, getting me to read anything else is
sort of…difficult. I’ll do it, but I may or may not be pouting the entire time.
This genre makes my head spin with possibilities. So many things can happen, so
many different directions to take it. It’s just so much fun!

Synopsis:Working
with the ex you secretly love to save the souls of the innocent is almost as
bad as working with a mighty battle unicorn who would be thrilled to watch you
plummet to your death.

Scout is used to pain. Her body has been broken, her heart has been broken, and
the only thing keeping her together is her relationship with her younger
sister. Lil Bit be-lieves in unicorns and terrifying monsters she calls soul
stealers. But unicorns and monsters aren’t real…are they?

When Lil Bit falls prey to the mysterious disease sweeping the country, Scout
has two options – believe the doctors who say it’s a pandemic or believe Lil
Bit, who says it’s the soul stealers. She chooses her sister and goes looking
for the unicorns who are supposed to save them. What she finds aren’t the cute
pastel mythical creatures she expects. Battle unicorns are big and tough and
full of attitude. Who knew?

Unicorns are real and so are the monsters. Soul stealers are reaping the souls
of the innocent, and the unicorns are fighting to stop them. But to save the
world, they need the help of humans – the enemy they’re dying to protect. And
first to sign up for the fight is the ex-boyfriend Scout’s heart won’t stop
loving, no matter how determined she is to hate him.

GIVEAWAY

**Must be 13 or older**

**Opened to U.S. Only**

**Winner has 48 hours to respond before a
new winner will be chosen**

**Winner will win: an ecopy of Warrior
International, a Warrior Beautiful key chain & a signed bookmark**

Also, this was supposed to have a top ten list on it, but Wendy didn't send that, and I'm NaNo-fried and can't possibly think of one myself. Instead, I want you to tell me the one or two things that SHOULD be in a Top Ten Best Things About Befriending Authors List. Go!